Switch.



No. 743,281. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903. M. E. HEPBURN.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1903.

H0 IODEL.

wmv ssss; R2 INVENTOIH Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN E. HEPBURN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,281, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed February 12,1903. $eria1No.143,082. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN E. HEPBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and.

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanyiug'drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The switch forming the subject of this in vention is particularly applicable for use in inter-communicating telephone and annunciator systems; and the object of the invention is to form a novel construction of switch whereby one of a number of lines may be completed or connected with one of several stations.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the device. Fig. 2 is a crosssection thereof, and Fig. 3 is a back View with the cap removed.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates a base-board which supports the switch and is perforated to receive the tube 7, having a circular flange 7 in contact with the back of the, board and a clamping-nut 7 against the front of the board, the front end of the tube being threaded to receive said nut. The flange 7 forms a base on which is laid a series of commutator or contact segments 8, which are insulated from each other and also from the tube and flange by insulating material 8. A binding-nut 7 on the tube serves to hold the segments in place. A line-wire 9 is connected to each segment, according to the number of stations.

Mounted to revolve in the tube 7 is another tube 10, which has at its front end a dial 10 and carries at its rear end an arm 10", through the projecting end of which a contact-pin 10 works loosely and brushes over the commutator under pressure of a spring 10.

A pointer 11 is supported by the tube 7 and is properly positioned to indicate the home station, which also is indicated by a notch 8 in the corresponding segment of the commutator, and the pin 10 falls into said notch when the switch is set at the home station.

At 12 is indicated a cap which is secured to the base-board and covers the commutator. This cap supports a contact-plug 13, connected to one of the battery-wires 13, and this contact-plug. is in proper position to receive the contact-head 14 of the push-button 14., which works in the tube 10, the contact being normally broken by the spring 14 In operation when it is desired to call up any particular station the dial is turned to the corresponding number and segment and the circuit then completed by pressing the push-button 14, the circuit passing from the wire l3 through the contacts 13 and 1 1, the arm 10 and brush 10, the commutator-segment 8, and the corresponding wire 9. The dial may be returned to the home station without particular attention by the operator, because when it reaches that station the pin 10 drops in the notch 8*, giving an appreciable resistance which may be recognized by the touch of the operator as being the home station.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The combination in a switch, of a baseboard, a circular series of contact-terminals thereon, a rotatable dial-tube extending therethrough and having a spring-pressed pin in contact with one of the terminals, a cap attached to the base-board and having a contact-terminal thereon, and a push-button working in. the tube and having a head adapted to contact with the terminal on the cap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN E. IIEPBURN.

WVitnesses:

SIGNA FELTSKOG, H. G. BAroEELoR. 

